Sunday, April 3, 2011

Things that Are Square's celebration of the 10th anniversary of Our Band Could Be Your Life marches on! Next up: Sonic YouthSo, Sonic Youth basically invented indie cool, right? Brainy, arty, well-read, hip. These dudes started with Glenn Branca guitar noise experimentalism and eventually folded in more and more traditional rock elements until they were straddling the avant/art community and something approaching mainstream success. In fact, I think of all the bands in this book, Sonic Youth are easily the most visible/successful. I mean, they're not discussing the Butthole Surfers in the movie Juno, you know? And Beat Happening were never on the Simpsons. In fact, they are one of few bands in that book that are still even together. Not only together but still releasing critically well-received albums. Just harnessing the awesome power of the guitar, wrestling it to the ground, and being paragons of hipness doing it.